Lammily
 | |
| Type | Fashion doll |
|---|---|
| Inventor(s) | Nickolay Lamm |
| Country | United States |
| Availability | 2014–present |
| Slogan | Average is Beautiful! |
| Official website | |
Lammily is an American fashion doll developed by Nickolay Lamm in 2014.[1] The doll was conceived as an "average" alternative to Mattel's Barbie line, which has gained controversy over its body image and proportions.[2][3]
Development
Lamm took inspiration for the doll from his high school experiences, when he felt self-conscious and had low self-esteem over his appearance.[4] The idea for the doll line started from a series of concept renders using 3ds Max and Adobe Photoshop, comparing a Barbie doll to body proportions of a 19-year old woman based on data from Centers for Disease Control.[5][6] Development of the doll was crowd sourced via Crowdtilt, and in less than a day raised more than its $95,000.[7] The funding campaign eventually raised $501,000 - more than five times the initial goal.[8] Lamm stated that the name Lammily, a portmanteau of the words Lamm and family, is the name of the company and not the actual name of the doll.[9]
Marketing
The Lammily doll is marketed as "fit and strong" and has brown hair and little makeup.[2][10] The Independent described her outfits as "toned-down", compared to Barbie's.[10] The doll is articulated with jointed wrists, elbows, knees and ankles, enabling it to wear sneakers as well as high heel shoes.[2][10]
Backers of the crowdfunded campaign were given the opportunity to pre-order the doll prior to general release. The doll officially launched at the end of November 2014, with pre-order figures of 19,000. Additional accessory features, including body modification stickers and alternate fashion designs, are scheduled to be released in January 2015.[8]
Reception
The doll has received praise in various media arenas penning her as a healthier and normal role model for the youth of which sets more realistic beauty standards.[5][7] Demi Lovato described the doll as "awesome" on Twitter.[4] The doll however has also received some criticism. In promoting the ideal that everyone is beautiful, Lionel Shriver described it as "wishful claptrap" and did not think children would be attracted to the product.[9] There were also concerns that the promotion of an "average" ideal may dampen aspirations for young people.[11]
The project and its agenda were satirized in popular comedy media outlet The Onion's March 6. 2014 issue with respondents on American Voices stating when asked what they think of Lamm's idea: "I don’t care what the new standard of beauty is as long as girls feel pressured to meet it," and "Maybe if you base your life around a doll you deserve what you get."[12]
References
- ^ Wagstaff, Keith. "Meet Lammily, the Crowd-Funded 'Realistic' Alternative to Barbie - NBC News". NBCNews.com. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ a b c Stampler, Laura (5 March 2014). "Lammily: New Barbie with Average Body by Nickolay Lamm". Time. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ Murray, Rheana (6 March 2014). "After 'Real Barbie' project, doll line with 'average is beautiful' motto to be produced - NY Daily News". Daily News. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ a b Carter, Chelsea J. (20 November 2014). "Move over, Barbie! Make room for 'average' Lammily doll". CNN. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
- ^ a b Stump, Scott (3 July 2013). "'Normal' Barbie uses real women's measurements - TODAY.com". Today. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ Bahadur, Nina. "'Normal' Barbie By Nickolay Lamm Shows Us What Mattel Dolls Might Look Like If Based On Actual Women (PHOTOS)". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ a b Lee, Jolie (7 March 2014). "Watch out Barbie: Average body Lammily doll is coming". USA Today. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ a b Stampler, Laura (19 November 2014). "The New 'Normal Barbie' Comes With an Average Woman's Proportions — and Cellulite-Sticker Accessories". Time. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
- ^ a b Shriver, Lionel (21 November 2014). "Sorry Lammily, your dumpy looks won't fool many little girls". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
- ^ a b c Gander, Kashmira (6 March 2014). "Lammily: Barbie-like doll hits Kickstarter fundraising target in a day - News - The Independent". The Independent. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ Richards, Victoria (21 November 2014). "Lammily the 'Normal Barbie' is a great start, but no gendered toy is without problems". The Independent. Retrieved 21 November 2014.
- ^ "New 'Normal Barbie' Doll Has Proportions Of Average Woman". The Onion. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
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